


Gather Around the Bird

by saiyuri_dahlia



Series: Our First Year [2]
Category: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Holiday Collection, M/M, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-27
Updated: 2013-11-27
Packaged: 2018-01-02 19:32:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,447
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1060717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/saiyuri_dahlia/pseuds/saiyuri_dahlia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which it is not Ordon's equivalent to Thanksgiving without some surprise guests dropping in and a huge fight at the dinner table.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Gather Around the Bird

Series Title: Our First Year

Disclaimer: Yea, I still don't own TP.

-o-

Day of Harvest Gratitude (Thanksgiving): Gather Around the Bird

-o-

Breathing in the brisk morning air, feeling the icy burning sensation in his lungs, as he walked through the forest with a dead wild turkey secured to his belt, Link couldn't be happier. Mornings like these were the kind Link got up and out early for—these same mornings were the kind his dear Shad would groan about in bed and cocoon himself in blankets for the most part. It was cold, yes, but he found the gray dawn peaceful, the chill invigorating, and the quiet healing.

In the hush, Link easily picked up the sounds of squirrels scurrying and chirping in the boughs overhead. If he wasn't sure Rusl had trapped enough already, he definitely would have drawn his bow. While he wouldn't have needed a reason to walk the woods this early, he had slipped into his hunting boots and jacket and headed out before dawn to bag an extra turkey just to be on the safe side. Wasn't like it wouldn't be appreciated or go uneaten—after all, a turkey leg after dessert made the perfect snack.

Despite last week's windstorm, some leaves had managed to hold tight to their branches. Of course, most of the trees were only a handful of wilted brown leaves away from spending the rest of winter pretending to be giant bucks anyway. Frost coated the forest bed of fallen leaves, at least Link thought it was frost. A gentle flurry of fat snowflakes lazily drifted down around him so it could have been either or both.

He hadn't needed to go far to flush out a wild turkey so he was back home within an hour, half of that time spent wandering and enjoying the sight and smell of the crisp morning woods. Link was almost home though, and he was glad to be—he could smell the bread Rusl was baking for the harvest feast and, much as frozen pine reminded him of home just as much as the scent of hay and roasted pumpkin, there was nothing he liked more than his house smelling like warm bread until late into the afternoon.

His stomach growled as the smell of bacon joined the smell of fresh bread as he hung the turkey from its feet from a tree. He planned on plucking and preparing it after breakfast but first he headed down the worn dirt road down to the village while the thought to do so was still with him.

Every cooking fire in the village was burning and providing whiffs and hints of the feast to come. In comparison to the Castle Town festivities of Hallowtide, the celebration during the Day of Harvest Gratitude throughout Ordon Village was mild in comparison. Of course, it wasn't celebrated in Castle Town—the nobility and a growing number of merchants turned their nose up at celebrating a peasant's holiday. Individual farming communities had their own harvest celebrations but only Ordon Province had made theirs a calendar festivity.

There were scarecrows that were not scarecrows but Grain Mothers weaved from corn and wheat, crowned with dried leaves, and given acorn necklaces and wild turkey feather wings by the children, ribbons and bows of red, orange, and brown hung from roofs, and the last of the gourds and squashes sat out by every door, both as a decoration and for storage, given the cooler days and colder evenings. Pergie every year made these beautiful pine wreathes and decorated them with little corn dollies, dried marigolds and chrysanthemums, acorn clusters, and red, orange, and brown ribbons for everyone. This year, she had Rusl forge several small pumpkin-shaped bells that made such a bright and happy tinkling sound—more than once the kids were told to be careful ringing them and not to shake the wreathes.

Their decorations may have been rustic and homemade and they didn't have lines of vendors selling meats and treats along every street, and for that matter, their streets weren't swarming with chatty celebrants but it was an important day within the Hyrulean year worthy of celebration and making and eating tons of food on so Castle Town didn't know what it was missing.

Opening Rusl and Uli's door, Link poked his head in the doorway and said hello. Uli was laying the baby in her nearby cradle, hushing her gently as her little girl fussed a bit as she laid her down. Smell told him they already had their turkey in the oven but sight told him Uli was preparing to make her cucco and rice soup.

"Oh, Link…back already?" she said, pausing as she measured out the rice. "Rusl did not burn the loaves, did he? I have more dough rising if he did."

"I haven't been home yet but it smells like he hasn't," Link said, rummaging in his supply pouches and pulling out a handful of herbs. "Found these. Looks like it's the last of the season."

"Ah, thank you, Link," Uli said and set aside what she could use in her soup and quickly put away the others in their proper jars.

Colin came from their back bedrooms and into the kitchen and greeted Link as he grabbed a bottle filled with tiny dried bugs off a shelf and headed over to the fish bowl sitting on a small square table by the window. Link was honestly surprised the goldfish he had won in a game at Hallowtide and gave to Colin was not only still alive but looking fat and healthy under the gentle boy's care. Even with fair care, most of the goldfish usually died after a week or so, if not the night they were caught. It was pretty impressive that it was still alive for nearly a month now.

"Shiny fishy, you've got there," he said, crouching down beside him as the boy struggled to pull the tight cork out of the bottle. Just as Link gestured to hand it over to him, the cork popped free. "He looks happy to see you."

"I wonder if she does, but really I think she just wants her breakfast," Colin said as he fed his fish, which he had apparently decided was a girl. Link didn't know how to tell and Colin didn't know either but one of them had to be right. "I named her Pumpkin."

"I can see why," Link said as he watched the mostly orange goldfish swim swiftly around her bowl. "If she gets rounder, Bo can make soup out of her." Link grinned to show he was just kidding but Colin didn't like the idea of anyone eating his fish at all.

"Be careful, sweetheart," Uli called from the kitchen. "Fish don't know when they're full so they'll eat and eat until they overeat and die."

"Is that what'll happen to Link?" Colin said, matching Link's playful grin with his own cheeky smile as Link stuck his tongue out and pretended to be hurt. For a moment, they grinned at one another and then Link pulled Colin closer and tickled him.

"You know, for your cheek, boy, I might have to eat her, " Link said, clicking his teeth in sharp bites as Colin giggled and wiggled in his arms.

"Please don't," Colin said through his laughter. "I like her very much."

"Well then, in that case…" Link said as he stilled his hands and simply hugged Colin. "You're welcome. I'm glad you like her."

Colin circled around and wrapped his small arms around Link's neck. "She better not go missing. I'll know it was you."

Link matched Colin's grin. "Not to worry. She has the Hero's protection." And then laying one hand on his heart and raising his other, he promised, "I solemnly swear she will not leave her bowl unless it is with your permission or by the will of her own two fins."

"You think you can get Talo to say that?" Colin asked as Link rose to standing.

"I'll talk to him," Link said, smiling as he tousled Colin's hair. "Y'know, that turkey is smelling great." His stomach growled. "…I haven't had breakfast yet."

"It will be a while before the feast... You better tide yourself over with something, Link," Uli said, holding a long plate with two rolls of ready bread dough. "Would you take these to Rusl?"

Link agreed, said he'd stop by later, and headed back to his house with the plate of covered loaves in hand. On the way, his stomach grumbled once more, reminding him he only had two fistfuls of pumpkin seeds as he headed out for the turkey this morning. He thought about what he wanted to eat that was quick to make since more than likely Shad wouldn't have their breakfast ready yet. The oven fire had probably just now warmed up his house enough to draw Shad from their covers and bring himself to make his tea.

Which was why Link was surprised to see his dear scholar up and about and fully dressed as he first opened his door. He was dressed, yes, if one didn't count he was wearing his bunny slippers, which according to Shad were not bunnies but keaton but they looked like bunnies to Link and he had never seen a keaton before so he was still going to call them bunnies. He guessed Rusl's presence had forced Shad to get up and dressed for sake of keeping proper appearance.

And much to Link's delight, Shad had made breakfast already.

"Good morning, old boy," Shad said as Link handed off the loaves to Rusl to bake next. "I surmise your hunt was successful?"

"Yea, I got a good sized tom," Link replied as he took off his hunting boots and put away his bow and quiver. "I'll get it into the oven after I eat."

"You would figure this time of the year all the wild turkeys would hide," Rusl said as he removed the first of the finished loaves and set them aside to cool. "But I suppose they are not intelligent birds like hawks."

"You could train a turkey to hop onto your arm with the hawk grass, I'm sure. What it would do for you, I don't know," Link said, stepping toward Shad as the scholar made the dough for his beef…pastry rolls—that wasn't what it was called but Link couldn't remember the Castle Town nobleman for which Shad's fancy beef dish was named after. "…Maybe you could train it to pluck and bake itself?"

"No, it would be inhumane to train a turkey to self-immolate itself," Shad said, sprinkling a bit more flour on his rolled out dough. "If there is nothing of practical use you can train it to perform, why not teach it to play one of those miniature pianos?"

"Then what would we teach the cucco to play? The flute?" Link said, earning a smile from the scholar. Knowing he was focused on his feast offering, Link jumped on the chance and slipped his chilled fingers down Shad's collar and pressed them against his neck.

Shad shouted and jumped at the cold and then grew angry and swatted the rolling pin at him. Knowing he wouldn't actually hit him anyway, Link, laughing, still stepped back and raised his hands up to his chest in defense.

"Go consume your breakfast, you great vexatious imp, you!" Shad shouted and Link, still grinning and faintly laughing, made his way to his table to do just that, catching sight of Rusl smiling in amusement at him and the tiny shake of his head that either meant he couldn't believe he had done that or informed him that he shouldn't do that again.

Link sat down to his breakfast and for not more than a minute, the three fellows were busy in their work and said not a word for quite some time until Rusl spoke.

"Shad, did you know there was a virgin grove hidden within Faron Woods?" he said, tossing more wood into the stove. "There are some ruins there I do believe you will find interesting."

"There are?" Shad said, curiosity raised. "I say, I have heard whispers of speculation about the possibility, however I have not possessed the time to verify such a potential lead. Indeed, I have been meaning to, I will assure you, however I feel there is a bit more work I have yet to complete on my research of the sky beings."

And once again, as it tended to do every once in a while before it was buried in a safe spot and forgotten, the mental note to tell Shad about the City in the Sky breathed air once more. He had always meant to tell him but something had always gotten in his way or it wasn't the right time so Link always promised to tell him and then forgot. Over and over and over.

Now probably would have been a good time, except for the fact that Link's mouth was stuffed with eggs, sausage, and potatoes and the second he unstuffed his mouth, he wanted to stuff it again so Link told himself he would tell Shad after he had his breakfast.

Link didn't tell Shad. He had forgotten again after he had eaten and went outside and plucked and prepped the turkey and got it into the oven. And he had had the perfect chance to do so too, once Rusl had stepped outside to make a check on the whole goat he was smoking for the feast.

It had been the two of them alone, with Link keeping an eye on the turkey and Shad working on his beef and keeping an eye on Link to make sure he didn't eat any raw turkey. He could have told him then and it would have made a much better apology for touching him with his cold hands earlier than what he had actually done—hugged him from behind and coaxed him into a good mood by whispering sweet nothings in his ear and kissing his shoulder, which hadn't been as romantic as it would've been since Shad was taller than him and Link had to stand on his tiptoes and still hadn't been able to whisper properly in his ear.

But Link hadn't told him and it was late into the afternoon and since it was cold and snowing this year, the village decorated Bo's sumo ring with orange and brown ribbons and corn wreathes and set up a table in the center of the ring and two others nearby, one for the kids and another to place food on because, like every year, there was too much to set on one table.

There were three turkeys, a ham, slices of Rusl's whole smoked goat, and fried Ordon catfish. There was Uli's cucco and rice soup, Bo's pumpkin soup, and Pergie's barley and goat soup. They had all their usual trimmings—fried apples, dressing, cranberries, corn, mashed pumpkin and sweet potatoes, and fried greengill-green bean casserole. Fado had even made his goat cheese biscuits. And that still didn't include dessert.

And this year, they had something new and from Castle Town because Shad was new to their table and from Castle Town. Link had told him he didn't need to bring anything since they would have plenty but he had insisted on bringing something because he had said it was polite to do so. So Shad had made Beef Wellington for the village to try. Link had never heard of it before and actually had never had beef before until Shad had made his dish for Link to try and say whether he thought the village would like it. It wasn't bad, the meat tasted different, but it wasn't bad. It tasted a lot better with a little pumpkin ketchup on it, Link thought, but everything tasted better with a little pumpkin ketchup on it.

As Shad brought in his platter of finished Wellingtons and was placing them on the table, Talo came over and asked if he could have some bread and Shad explained what his easily mistakable loaves really were.

"What's beef?" Colin asked after Shad said what his dish was.

"It is meat from a cow," Shad explained.

"What's a cow?" Talo immediately asked.

The question seemed to throw Shad for a moment. "Pardon? You are unfamiliar with cows?" The kids nodded. "Er…well, how to explain… Cows are four-legged hoofed creatures that consume grass and live on farms and are raised for their meat and milk."

"So they're goats," Talo said.

"No, they are not goats."

"Sounds a lot like goats to me," Malo said wryly, narrowing his eyes at Shad in doubt. "Is there even a difference?"

"Uh, er, well…simplistic description wise, they do appear to be identical creatures, however cows…" Shad paused and looked up as he considered his answer. "I suppose the difference between the two creatures would be that female cows do not have horns and the males' horns do not merge into a circle over time like an Ordon goat. And the taste of their meat and milk differs from that of a goat."

"Are there lots of cows in Castle Town?" Beth asked. "I bet you can find anything in Castle Town! Ooh, I want to go there someday…"

"Actually there is a small stable by the west gate that holds more Ordon goats than cows but most cows are raised outside the city. You can readily purchase their meat in town, however."

"Oh? Rusl made a lot of bread this year, I reckon," Fado said, walking up to the table and carrying a plate stacked with loaves.

And once again Shad explained what his Wellingtons were and what beef was but when a clearly confused Fado asked what a cow was, Talo perked up and said, "It's a funny-horned goat!"

Link watched as he saw his scholar open his mouth to explain in detail how it was not but then he decided there was no point in the matter and closed his mouth and simply nodded his head yes.

With the feast ready and everyone sitting down to eat, Bo recited the Harvest Gratitude prayer and as the mayor was bringing the traditional prayer to a close, Link swore he could hear a faint pecking noise somewhere in the room. It sounded like something hitting against pottery so Link just thought one of the kids was sneaking bites while everyone's eyes were closed. But as the prayer ended and everyone loaded up their plates, Link swore he heard the sound of something wobbling nearby. With a shout from Beth and her point guiding everyone to look, Link finally saw the not-so-empty pot wobbling on the floor.

A few of the villagers spoke of their concerns and Rusl, his eyes narrowed in suspicion, stood up from his seat to investigate. Link stopped him and assured him he knew exactly what it was and that he'd take care of it. Taking his word for it, Rusl sat back down and Link got up instead and picked up the pot. Holding the pot above his head as he did for all their meetings, the pot wobbled a bit and then broke and the strange human-faced cucco that was Ooccoo and the flying baby's head that was her son, Ooccoo Jr., squawked and fell onto the dirt floor.

"Gracious, are you all right, son?" she asked and her boy said yes. "My, I am glad we were able to escape. Thank you, adventurer."

"Link, do you know these…creatures?" Rusl asked, an eyebrow raised in uncertainty.

"Are we eating them too?" Talo asked.

"No, they are my friends," Link said and smiled. "Everyone, this is Ooccoo and her son, Ooccoo Jr. They're Oocca."

Shad's eyes widened in surprise. "Oocca? You mean they are…sky beings?" He sat up, awe and excitement awash across his face. "All my life, my father's ambition, I have searched for proof of the existence of the sky beings."

As Shad quickly made his way around the table, Link noticed his dear happy scholar fiddling with his fingertips as he did only when he was nervous or very excited and while he may have been a bit nervous, there was no doubt that he was very excited.

"Pardon my rudeness," he said, giving Ooccoo and her son a short polite bow. "My name is Shad and I am scholar and I am ever so glad to meet you."

"Oh gracious, it's a pleasure," she said, offering her wing to shake. "I hope we aren't a bother. You see, it's been a long time since we've seen the adventurer and my son and I decided we should see how he was doing. It was the least we could do after he had so graciously helped us return to our home."

"Your home? You mean the City in the Sky?" Shad said and then looked at Link and asked, "Have you been to the City in the Sky?"

Completely not ready to answer that and hesitating to do so, Link opened his mouth but before he could give a very awkward, drawn-out yes, Ooccoo answered Shad for him. "Oh yes, scholar, he has." And then she turned to Link and said, "You really should visit again, adventurer. Things are much more calmer now, thanks to you, and I would love to show you properly around this time."

"You have been to the City in the Sky…" he said, too calmly and too measured and Link did not like the sudden sharpness in his dear scholar's eyes. "You have met the Oocca, the sky beings for which I dedicated my life to discovering, for which my father gave his life dreaming to accomplish. I have been searching and searching, I have tirelessly and painstaking scoured over every potential clue to discern their whereabouts and all this time you knew _exactly_ where they were and you _never told me_!"

Link winced at his raised voice. "Shad, it isn't like that—"

"Is it? Is it not exactly what you have done?" the scholar said in an accusing tone. "Answer me, have you known where they were and have you not told me?"

"…Yes," Link replied reluctantly.

"Then it is _exactly_ as it appears, old boy!" Shad hurried past Link and left the sumo ring. Link followed after him.

"No, it's not…" Link said as Shad grabbed his longcoat and slipped it on. "Wait…Shad!"

Pulling Bo's door closed behind him, Shad left.

For a second, he felt trapped in a freezard's ice breath before it finally occurred to him that this might be it. Shad was angry. Shad had never been this angry, ever but especially with him. They had argued before but no matter what Shad had always stayed and listened.

Link heard someone approach behind him but pause in the open doorway between the mayor's house and dojo and he looked over his shoulder and saw it was Rusl. They met eyes briefly—Rusl's offered reassurance and also appeared curious to see what Link would do while Link's eyes simply looked worried and miserable.

If Shad had just stayed and listened, he could have explained himself and maybe Shad wouldn't be so angry with him or wouldn't be angry with him at all. If he just could have explained himself…

That was it then. He was going to explain himself.

"Link, stay!" Rusl said as Link rushed to grab his hunting jacket and run after Shad. "It'll be all right. Give him time."

"But—"

"He's upset, Link," Rusl said as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders and led him back to the table. "Let him calm."

"You really never told him what you found?" Ilia asked as Link sat back down beside her and tried his best not to look at Shad's empty chair across from him.

Link nodded and immediately Ilia grabbed his ear and twisted and pulled it.

"Ow! Ow! I know! I know! I messed up!" he shouted until she let go of his ear. Hunching over, Link bowed his head and grumbled, "I'm going to need a lot of cake to get out of this…"

"You're going to need a lot more than cake, Link," Ilia said, needling her disbelieving stare into him. "Really, how could you?"

"Gracious, have we caused a fuss?" Ooccoo asked.

"No, Ooccoo, it's my fault," Link said. "You see, Shad has always wanted to know more about the Oocca and the City in the Sky and I've kind of never told him about you or shown him the City."

"Oh, well…" Ooccoo said, her words drifting off as she paused to consider, "I would be happy to meet a friend of the adventurer and you are welcome to bring him to our home."

"Thank you, Ooccoo. That's great," Link said, flashing her a weak smile before bowing his head once more and sighing. "Now if only he'll talk to me again…"

Little by little, everyone offered him their reassurances and little by little, everyone picked up their forks and returned to the feast. Everyone but Link. He couldn't bring himself to eat anything else. Ilia tried to encourage him to eat and then Ooccoo joined in but the few times Link picked up his fork, he only moved his food around.

"I'm sorry. I won't ruin things," Link said, rising from his seat. "I'll eat later, okay?"

Uli nodded and said something about saving both of them a plate. The laughter from the kids' table hushed as all the kids, including Ooccoo Jr. perched on Colin's shoulder, watched Link leave.

Link grabbed his hunting jacket but did not put it on. He walked back to his house, the snow blowing down quicker around him. There was a good chance Shad was there and maybe it was too soon to talk to him but Link wanted to see him and judge for himself whether or not he could explain himself yet or whether to simply wait with him.

Shad wasn't home.

He sat down in a chair and waited and soon waiting frustrated him so he rose in a huff and paced about the room and waited. He lit the cooking fire for warmth. He shouted at a squirrel that had crawled through the hole in his roof. Shouting at something certainly had made him feel somewhat better but it hadn't made Shad come back and listen to him so it hadn't fixed anything.

As he watched the fat snowflakes fall and the time grew closer and closer to twilight, Link didn't want to wait anymore. Sliding on his hunting jacket, he headed out, not even bothering with his ladder and simply hopped down. There were few places in the village that Shad might go and Link doubted he would be there. Doubting he would wander into the forest with it being so cold, there was only one place he would go outside of the village to be alone and that was the spirit spring.

Shad sat with his arms wrapped around his legs, drawn close, on the silt beach. His eyes were fixed on the fairies fluttering and dancing above the water but he doubted he was truly paying attention to them.

Link considered saying something and, in fact, opened his mouth to say something but decided against it at the last moment. He winced at his hesitation and rubbed the back of his head in nervousness. But at last, he gathered the nerve to step forward.

But then Shad spoke.

"Before you utter even a sound of whatever banal apology you have strung together, allow me to speak first," he said, still sounding irritated but he was calm. "I cannot believe you have known all this time and did not inform me. You have no idea how hurt and betrayed I feel right now. It is not simply that you knew and did not tell me. It is because of that and the fact that you are fully aware of what my research on the Oocca means to me and that you have stood beside me offering support while withholding such critical information. You claim to love me and yet you kept this a secret."

"But I do love you and it wasn't a secret—"

Still sitting, Shad twisted around as best he could to face Link and shouted, "Then how could you press your lips to mine but, Goddesses forbid, you never once let them speak a word about the Oocca!"

"I was going to tell you, I swear," Link said, walking up and dropping to his knees to sit beside him. "I was waiting to tell you and I waited too long. It was just… Now that you know they exist, what do you plan on doing now?"

"Well, I…" Shad paused to think as the snow fell around them. "I am not entirely positive. For years, I have dreamed of discovering the sky beings and the City in the Sky, however, in truth, I have not allotted much consideration to my plans after their existence was proven. …I suppose I will study their culture."

"And what all goes into that?" Link asked but Shad could only answer him generally but specifically. "Does the world have to know about them yet?"

"Ah well, yes," Shad said and then seemed to realize Link's concern with the matter. "But I suppose it is not a necessity that I announce their existence just yet."

"That's part of why I didn't immediately tell you," Link explained. "When I was in the City, I started thinking maybe it would be best just to leave them alone. They had just lived through the rampage of a dragon and you telling the world they exist might make things worse for them. I was going to tell you, I swear. I just wanted to make sure they'd be safe."

"That is an absolutely reasonable concern, old boy," Shad said. "And I will assure you that I will thoroughly research the Oocca before I ever inform the world. Call it selfish, however this has been my lifelong dream so I will not allow my naysaying colleagues the opportunity to seize upon my well-rewarded endeavor for their own profit. I am and desire to remain the eminent authority on the Oocca."

"I'll admit when I was waiting for the right time to tell you, I forgot. Many times."

"Yes, well…" Shad's smile seemed rather amused. "Indeed, you are easily distracted at times."

"I am not easily distracted," Link denied.

"My dear, I requested a few months back for you go to the market and retrieve for me a bottle of cream and a leek. It should have taken you exactly five minutes, however you returned no less than an hour late because you had played fetch with the street pups and made friends with every cat."

"I have to," Link said. "They follow me."

"That does not excuse my point that you are easily distracted," Shad said, still smiling. "As we rode into Ordon, you stopped to catch a bug."

"Hey, I can get good rupees from Agitha for that bug," Link replied, making Shad laugh. Link didn't see what was all that funny. He really could get good money from that bug.

Still he was happy to see Shad smiling and laughing again.

"And so," Shad said, taking a hold of Link's hand, "because you had the Oocca's best interest in mind and I know truly that you would not intentionally hurt me, I do believe I forgive you for not telling me about the sky beings until now."

"…You do?" Link asked, just to be sure. "And you still love me?"

"Of course, I still love you, old boy," Shad said as he rose to standing and brushed the silt from his longcoat. "And I do forgive you, though mind you I am still highly vexed by you so if I were you, I would not attempt any of your mischievous games with me."

"I was only playing but I get it," Link said, smiling, as he first wrapped his arm around Shad's waist and then turned and wrapped him in a hug. He wanted to kiss him too but even on the tip of his toes, his puckered lips couldn't quite reach.

"Now this would be much more romantic if you were a hair taller," Shad said, his smile much too pleased. "Shall I find you a box?"

"Shut up and bend your neck."


End file.
